Tramp's New Home
by Brad387
Summary: This fan-fiction aims to bridge the gap between the first and second Lady & The Tramp movies. Detailing the difficulties Tramp faces as he settles into his new home, the story begins just after Tramp is adopted by Jim Dear and Darling (before the ending Christmas scene in the original film and the birth of the couple's puppies).
1. Street Dog

Author's Notes:

This fan-fiction aims to bridge the gap between the first and second Lady & The Tramp movies. Detailing the difficulties Tramp faces as he settles into his new home, the story begins just after Tramp is adopted by Jim Dear and Darling (before the ending Christmas scene in the original film and the birth of the couple's puppies).

If you see any grammatical/spelling mistakes or continuity errors with the movies/later chapters in the story, please do inform me by dropping a review so that I can rectify the issue. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 1:

It was early December and, as winter seemed unenthusiastic to release its tight grip on the quaint little town located somewhere within New England, the Darling household was full of the hustle, bustle and eagerness that Christmas brings to almost any family. But, whilst decorations were being hung and gifts wrapped, not everyone was so content with the festive joy. A medium-sized dog with scruffy grey fur lay alone on the front porch, unfazed by the buffeting winds and snow, contemplating the decisions he had made. Was this really what he wanted? He was, in the words of his former friend, a 'house pet'. Suddenly, the door creaked open behind him as a slender cocker spaniel with dark brown ears, beige body and a tan muzzle and stomach came through.

"Tramp?" she asked questioningly in a raised tone. "What's the matter?"

"Pidge, this is no life for me," he replied in a solemn tone. "I should be out there...footlose and collar-free."

"But, I thought you liked it here with Jim Dear, Darling...and me?"

"I do. I really do, but this isn't...me. I don't belong here."

Desperately trying to find a way out of the awkward conversation, Tramp found solace in the calls of their owners, Jim Dear and Darling, and the pair together entered the large, white house - each avoiding both eye contact and conversation.

Later that evening, with only the faint sound of the tick tock of the clock and the snoring of their owners upstairs in the background, the couple lay together in the comfort of their warm bed. But, unable to sleep, Tramp arose. After a quick kiss on the head of his sleeping love, he made his exit - taking careful consideration not to awake the members of the household. The hallway was dark and void of all life as Tramp made his way through into the kitchen and out of the dog flap into the garden, where he was greeted by the bitterness of a winter's evening as snow crunched under his paws at every step. A sense of guilt overcame him, but he knew that Lady would never leave Jim Dear, Darling and Junior - not even for him. He made his way out of the garden, into the dimly lit street and, quickening his pace, he was out of sight within mere minutes.

Tramp soon found his way out of Snob Hill, as the layout of the town was still very fresh in his mind after some weeks off of the streets. He returned to the old railway yard (where he had saved Lady from a pack of feral dogs only a few weeks earlier) and, settling down in his old spot, he slowly drifted off to sleep. It was only a few hours before daylight and not even the freezing conditions of a winter's night disturbed the tired canine.

A few hours later and, as the sun rose over the horizon in the east, Tramp was awoken by the familiar sounds of an old friend. He slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the bright light of the day that, along with the snow that covered the ground like a white blanket, made the world seem brighter than usual. From around the corner of a barrel, a small dog with cream fur and blue eyes walked casually out.

"Peg?" asked Tramp, surprised to see his old friend in such a place.

"Hey, handsome. Long time no see. I thought you were with that girl now?"

"I am, or rather...was. You know me, Peg. I'm a street dog at heart. That's the real way to live - not as some house pet."

"If you are not a house pet, what is that around your neck?"

Around Tramp's neck was a bright red collar and from it hung a diamond shaped license that gleamed in the sun's rays. Aware that no self-respect street dog would be seen in a collar, Tramp quickly asked Peg for a way to remove it and to which she reminded him of the beaver at the zoo who had previously helped to remove Lady's muzzle. After a quick goodbye, Tramp left Peg's company and the railway yard as he set out eagerly for the zoo, where he would be rid of his collar and would once again be a street dog who was free to go where he pleased.


	2. Bella Notte

Author's Notes:

This fan-fiction aims to bridge the gap between the first and second Lady & The Tramp movies. Detailing the difficulties Tramp faces as he settles into his new home, the story begins just after Tramp is adopted by Jim Dear and Darling (before the ending Christmas scene in the original film and the birth of the couple's puppies).

If you see any grammatical/spelling mistakes or continuity errors with the movies/later chapters in the story, please do inform me by dropping a review so that I can rectify the issue. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 2:

"What's a...baby?"

The words that she had asked Jock and Trusty some months earlier seemed foolish now in hindsight, as the cocker spaniel awoke to the piercing cries of the hungry Junior upstairs. Reluctantly arising from the warmth of her bed, she could not help but notice the absence of the lovable grey canine that had been with her for some weeks now. "Tramp?" she called his name questioningly, receiving no response as she did so and progressed further into the house to search for him. The kitchen was cold, dark and absent of all sound within, but the winds buffeted at the shutters on the windows to create a distinctly loud banging sound. It would be a lie to state that Lady wasn't afraid, because she most certainly was. However, she pressed on in her search of the house, taking a great deal of time in each room to search every possible nook and cranny. After what felt like hours of searching, only one room remained untouched and Tramp had so far had not been found.

The lounge was surprisingly full of life at such an early hour, as a calmed Junior now crawled playfully across the velvet rug and Darling sat peacefully by the crackling fire. It was a picturesque scene that was, unfortunately, overshadowed by Lady's increasing worry for Tramp. Whilst she had known since his arrival that he had been having difficulty settling in the Darling household, and that was only confirmed by their discussion last night, she certainly hadn't expected him to simply leave.

"Darling, have you seen Tramp?"

"No, Jim Dear. I can't say I have."

"Well, I am sure he'll turn up later. I better take Lady to her appointment."

Lady wasn't entirely sure as to where they were heading, but she trusted her owners and the cold air helped ease her distressed mind. However, she still thought of Tramp and as to whether she would ever see him again. Whilst they had only known each other for a relatively short while, their love had quickly blossomed and she couldn't bare the thought of being apart from him ever since that first magical night they spent together...

Jim Dear and Darling were out of town for a reason unbeknownst to Lady, leaving Aunt Sarah (along with her two mischievous cats, Si and Am) to watch the vulnerable baby. Lady could tell immediately that the cats would prove trouble and, as she predicted, they did. Both were slender in build, with tan fur, dark brown legs, tails, ears and faces and bright blue eyes. Attempting to catch the fish from the bowl atop the mantle piece in the room adjoining the lounge, the pair caused havoc as they climbed bookcases, curtains and more. The place was a wreck and, thanks to the duo cunningly pretending to be injured, Lady received the blame. Later that day, she was taken by a disgruntled Aunt Sarah to a small pet shop in town and placed upon a large, wooden counter. The shop assistant attempted to aggressively fit a muzzle, but she managed to escape and it was during this that she encountered the Tramp. He led her to the zoo, where a genial beaver unintentionally freed her from the contraption. The couple spent the evening together, visiting Tony's restaurant and hearing the most beautiful song before sleeping peacefully under the stars.

"Oh, this is the night, it's a beautiful night,  
And we call it bella notte!  
Look at the skies, they have stars in their eyes,  
On this lovely bella notte!

Side by side with your loved one,  
You'll find enchantment here!  
The night will weave its magic spell,  
When the one you love is near!

Oh, this is the night, and the heavens are right,  
On this lovely bella notte!"

Jim Dear gave a tug on Lady's lead, indicating that they had arrived at their destination and disturbing her from her reminiscent phantasm. Entering through the door of a small building on the corner of a tranquil street, the two took a seat in a large room filled with chairs and, for reasons Lady wasn't quite sure, began a long wait.


	3. Old Friends

Author's Notes:

This fan-fiction aims to bridge the gap between the first and second Lady & The Tramp movies. Detailing the difficulties Tramp faces as he settles into his new home, the story begins just after Tramp is adopted by Jim Dear and Darling (before the ending Christmas scene in the original film and the birth of the couple's puppies).

If you see any grammatical/spelling mistakes or continuity errors with the movies/later chapters in the story, please do inform me by dropping a review so that I can rectify the issue. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 3:

The long walk to the zoo was laborious for Tramp, as the time approached midday and the weather conditions became increasingly inclement. Snow buffeted viciously against the slender canine, chilling him to the bone. The Christmas period was always a difficult time for street dogs, with many not surviving the icy conditions and plummeting temperatures. But, after some time, he had successfully managed to find his way to the local zoo - where he surprisingly found the front entrance unguarded and was able to slip inside easily. As he walked through the desolate zoo, which like on every weekend was closed, he soon came across the beaver enclosure. However, it was eerily quiet and the beaver was nowhere to be seen. Tramp let out a disappointed sigh, knowing that the beaver must have been transferred to another zoo and that his only hope of collar removal was now lost. What was he to do now?

Suddenly, there was a loud crash as a nearby bin smashed to the ground and a brown figure darted across the edge of Tramp's vision, startling him and causing him to let an aggressive warning growl. However, as Tramp prepared to defend himself against any possible threats, he was yet again greeted by his old friend - Peg. She must have followed him from the railway yard...

"Hey, handsome. Sorry to startle ya', but this place is good pickings," she said in a calm tone, gesturing towards a discarded sandwich inside the overturned bin.

"Oh, Peg. What am I goin' to do?" asked Tramp worryingly, joining her in searching through the food waste.

"There is one place you could go for help..."

A few hours later (after chowing down on a selection of leftover scraps from the zoo) and an exhausted Tramp stood at the entrance to the local junkyard, where trash lay piled atop each other like towering skyscrapers that a variety of scruffy and mangy dogs ran between playfully. There was Bull, Sparky and all of his old friends - except one. Atop the wreckage stood a large Doberman/Rottweiler mix, who grinned at the sight of his old mentor...

"Tramp! Where have you been, buddy? he asked.

"Err...around," Tramp quietly replied.

"Wait. What's that around ya' neck?"

"It's a...a...collar."

"What? A collar!? What are ya'!? Some house pet!?"

"Easy, Buster. It isn't what you think..."_  
_

"So, what is it then?

"It's...it's nothing. I'm back now and that's all that matters. Now, are you going to help me get this collar off or not?"

The large Doberman suddenly leapt onto Tramp, violently knocking the weak and tired mongrel to the ground. Thrusting his jaw around the collar, Buster pulled until it slid gently over the Tramp's neck before heading off further into the junkyard.

"Why did you come back?" asked Peg, appearing behind a shaken Tramp.

"Y'know me, Peg. I'm not a house pet."

"You already told me that, handsome. But, I know you too well. Be honest. It's as clear as day you're not telling the truth. Not even to ya'self..."

Tramp stood, silenced. Deep down, he knew why he had left Lady and it was not because of any desire to become a street dog again. Gesturing to Peg, the pair left the junkyard to a neighbouring alley where they could receive some peace and time alone.

"Being a street dog is hard Peg. You know that just as well as me. I've been one my entire life and I doubt I can change. It is just my mindset. Humans are the dog catchers - the enemy. Heck, a couple of days ago I was awoken by Jim Dear and...I just don't know what happened. I went for him..."

"Oh, Tramp. I just don't know what to say to ya'. But, that girl...will she not worry about you?"

Snow began to fall yet again, prompting the duo to quickly end their conversation and take shelter in an overturned cardboard box behind a nearby shop. The moon slowly crept over the horizon, as they settled in for a night of much needed sleep. The night stars provided unwanted memories of the magical moments that he had shared with Lady only a few weeks ago. But, after a short period of time, not even bitter sweet memories of the past could keep him awake and he slowly drifted off to sleep. He had done it. Once again, he was a street dog and free to go, alone, wherever he pleased.


End file.
